Landscape with Cannon

In Indian art, the tree is frequently used as a symbol of fertility, but normally a naked female form is to be found entwined amongst its branches. A yakshi standing under a tree is a recurring theme in both Hindu and Buddhist temple sculpture; however, in Bhupen's oil, we see that the naked female is no longer present and is instead replaced by a cannon and cannon balls. The implicit male sexual imagery of the cannon primed to fire reveals the artist's own quiet wit that permeates much of his work.